The 32 states that provided emergency medical assistance to thousands of Hurricane Katrina refugees received the first payments from the $2 billion Congress designated to cover those medical expenses, HHS announced. While the bulk of the funds will go to state Medicaid programs, several states that took in the largest number of evacuees will receive special grants to reimburse providers who cared for those ineligible for Medicaid but were still unable to pay their medical bills. The remaining funds will be used to cover future costs for the states. In turn, this funding will allow states to claim approximately $4.5 billion in federal matching funds.
